The Life and Times of Little Albus Severus
by Random Minion
Summary: The story of little Albus Severus who’s name is tragically heinous. An attempted comedy from Hogwarts to the World Beyond and his growing friendship with an unexpected house-mate, Scorpius Malfoy. Chapter Five: Home for the Holidays. Something s afoot!
1. A Snippet to Start the Year

**The Life and Times of Little Albus Severus**

**Chapter One: A Snippet to Start the Year**

AN: I'm sorry to have to go though the whole train/sorting scene _again, _but please bear with me, I promise improvement. As for using mulatto, I figure if Nirvana can get away with it so can I!.

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Albus recognized the blond boy from the platform. He'd turned to see the boy worm in between boxes into the compartment Albus and Rose were holding.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded with an unmistakable petulance. Unfazed, Rose looked him up and down as the boy sat down uninvited on the opposite side of the compartment.

"Rose Weasley, you're father's Draco Malfoy right?" The boy ignored her and turned on Albus.

"You?"

"Albus Severus Potter." Obviously he shouldn't have included all his names, the boy was looking at him as if Albus had a third head.

"That's worst name EVER!" Albus thought his face pinched up rather curiously when he talked, and glared at the boy, they were perfectly respectable war hero names.

Before Albus could think up something clever to say, he noticed his brother glowering in the door way. His intimidating thirteen year-old frame lounged easily in the door way flanked by friends, and his brother's appearance suddenly made Albus feel inexplicablely sorry for the boy.

"At least not as stupid as yours. Scorpius? Did your parents really name you that?" His older brother blocked the door and Scorpius seemed to shrink but managed to look defiant.

"Yeah so what of it? It's a cool name!"

"Oo I'm going to name my son after a scorpion 'cause I'm just so evil. Why don't you go get lost." This last retort accompanied by the sarcastic hand waving James picked up off some American sitcom over the summer.

Though he tried, Albus couldn't help grinning and he herd Rose snicker. The boy who's name was Scorpius sat for a moment defiantly glowering, then got up and slouched out of the carriage past James.

Albus was grateful to see him go, he'd never been really good in these kind of situations. It was nice to have his brother's protection. Thinking about the other boy's retreat from their compartment and Albus couldn't help feel just a bit sorry for him.

"Git." James said with relish still lounging in the doorway. "Remember Uncle Ron telling us about his father, and what a coward he was!" This last loud enough to carry down the train.

"My mum punched his dad once for calling her the M word." Rose piped in with pride.

James led a couple second year boys into the compartment.

"Darwin, Mathew this is my little brother, and this is my cousin Rose, she's my Uncle Ron's kid. She's all right."

Rose grinned at the older boys, as Albus smiled and mumbled a 'hi'.

The train chugged on its long journey north while Albus chatted with Rose and occasionally with his brother and his friends. They seemed really nice, but a bit on the dangerous side, just like his brother. They probably all received Detentions.

"Has that secret passage behind Hilda the Horrible been closed off?" James asked Mathew.

"What's that?" Albus interjected as the conversation rolled on.

Darwin turned, though James staunchly ignored them.

"That's a short cut. Just down the hall form the fat lady's portrait to the kitchens. Really useful when you've missed dinner y'know."

"Oh I hope it's open then, that would be grand." Rose looked excited.

"That's useful." Albus added feeling a little lame though Darwin didn't seem to care, content to impress with his inside knowledge of Hogwarts.

The train ride dragged on amicably enough except for a short spat when James started up again about Albus ending up in Slytherin. When the sweets trolley came by Mathew even gave Albus and Rose the Severus Snape and Hermione Granger-Weasley chocolate frog cards he got.

"I've got doubles." He said nonchalantly before turning back to his conversation with James about whether or not it would be possible to sneak out to Hogsmeade.

The train arrived eventually and travel dazed Albus alighted only to be instantly separated from his brother and Rose in the crowds. In a very short time they were all loaded into the boats, herded along by the momentum of various teachers and older pupils. It was all just like James had described.

Once in the boat he realized he was with the blond boy from the train Scorpius Malfoy.

"I'll bet I'm in Slytherin, a Malfoy hasn't been in another house for as long as we can remember."

He seemed too excited not to talk. Albus wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something back or not. Instead he tried to concentrate vary hard on keeping as still as possible. The water looked cold and foreboding. He really wished he'd learned to swim properly and Old Hagrid's boat seemed near sinking. He wondered uneasily whether there were leaks as he stared at the dark bilge water sloshing around in the bottom of his boat.

They landed at last on the opposite shore and Scorpius sprang from the boat with ease. Albus moved but managed to put his foot in the bilge water and stumbled out of the rocking boat feeling horribly embarrassed and tripping over his undone shoe laces.

"You all right there?" The kindly voice of Hagrid asked and a great hand came down and steadied him and the other first years moved off up to the castle.

"Yes" he squeaked. He knew the half giant from his father's stories and various family gatherings, but he was still a little intimidated. Scampering to catch up with the gaggle or first years, he joined them as they headed up the stairs.

"Oh there you are, sorry I lost you." Rose smiled at him, she was always so confident._She_ didn't look nervous at all, he thought dolefully.

"Dad told me all about this. They are going to let us into the Great Hall now, Mum says it is the oldest enchanted ceiling in the country. And the feast is supposed to be really really good, and there's no one there to tell you what or how much to eat! Are you alright?"

Albus felt so nervous that the thought of food made him slightly queasy.

He'd had a fight with James over whether he'd get into Gryffindor just fine. But then he didn't really know what it took to do so; something about bravery?

"What are the things each house looks for again?"

She stood for a moment trying to remember.

"For Gryffindor you need bravery and courage and chivalry, and to get into Ravenclaw you have to be smart." She paused for a second considering. "I don't know what you need to be to be in Hufflepuff and you have to be evil to go to Slytherin or something like that. Don't worry Al your not_evil_ you'll never been in Slytherin." This last bit she said more loudly as Scorpius was standing near them.

"Shows what you know." The blond boy muttered. Rose looked at him angrily.

Albus hoped they wouldn't fight.

"This way children." A man's voice cut through the chatter around them.

Albus was shuffled along with the rest though the enormous doors and into the great hall. At the back and short for his age he couldn't make out anything, but then he saw it. He tilted his head up and caught sight of countless gleaming glittering stars. It was as if he really was looking up directly at the night's sky from his bedroom window. He'd always liked the stars. The vastness overwhelming and calming he stared awed.

Then from the front of the hall names were being called.

"Archers, Clare." A pause.

"Hufflepuff!"

"Bode, Watson."

"Slytherin!"

The list continued and the group dwindled. Albus started to feel exposed, the ceiling no longer a distraction, he glanced over at Rose. She looked nervous and he noticed she had her fingers crossed. He crossed his too.

"Hope we both make it into Gryffindor." She whispered to him. Behind him he heard a snigger.

"Malfoy, Scorpius."

Scorpius strode passed them and up the hall, swaggering a little. Albus looked from the other boy to the tables around him. They were standing between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, both houses didn't seem to be paying much attention. The idele chatter continuing as Albus watched the boy take his place on the stool to be sorted by The Hat. Albus watched the ghosts glide around, the hat cried out.

"Ravenclaw!" the Ravenclaw table seemed temporarily stunned and for a moment there was silence then a belated cheer went up.

Albus watched Malfoy rip off the hat and fling it onto the floor. Scowling he slouched off to his new table. Albus caught sight of Ted Lupin sitting at the teacher's table him trying to catch his eye. The older boy had always been his hero. He remembered them playing Aurors when Albus was really young, Ted had been the detective and made up most of the story while James played out the action sequences and Albus wrote up reports for the ministry in brightly coloured crayons.

"Potter, Albus" the teacher called. He felt Rose squeeze his hand.

"Good luck." Ted mouthed as Albus shuffled toward the front dais.

A tall heavyset man with a moustache waved him to the stool and gave him an encouraging smile before placing the old tattered hat on his head. Albus was thankfull when he could no longer see the crowd of people watching him.

_Humm now… quite bright, quiet, not at all like your brother._ The hat's voice filled his head. _Timid… better be Ravenclaw. _

'No' Albus thought wildly, no one he knew was in Ravenclaw.

_Now child the selection of a house to which you belong has more to it than who you know or what you like._

'but… but' Albus protested.

_Don't worry you will make friends, they all do. I think Ravenclaw will suit you very nicely. _

Albus wanted to protest but the hat cried out.

"Ravenclaw!"

He heard an unexpectedly boisterous cheer go up from the Ravenclaw table, but he couldn't help from looking wistfully over to the Gryffindor table where his brother sat, only to see James smirking an I-told-you-so at him. Just then Albus didn't care what his brother thought; all he wanted was to be able to walk over to the Gryffindor table where everyone in his family had sat before him. He almost unwittingly did until the mustached man who directed the sorting stopped him.

"Ravenclaw's just there, you'll be fine." He gave Albus a reassuring pat on the shoulder that obviously didn't fulfill its mandate, but sent Albus off to the Ravenclaw benches.

Weakly Albus flopped down at the table. Would his parents be man? He stared down at the empty worn wood and let then rest of the sorting and the welcome speeches wash over him.

His brother had already recounted all the usual dire warnings to him, probably even embellishing a bit and he was too miserable to pay proper attention anyway. When Headmistress McGonagall clapped and the food finally appeared before him in great steaming heaps all he wanted to do was slide under the table and disappear.

"Aren't you going to eat anything, Alba-snot?" Scorpius was glaring at him across the time. He shook his head.

"Not hungry."

"Oh come on, you don't have it half as bad as me, my whole family has _always_ been Slytherin."

Not wanting to start an argument Albus nodded glumly. This didn't appear to appease Malfoy.

"Eat! You'll be hungry if you don't. Here have a meat loaf." Unceremoniously Scorpius dumped one onto his plate. "And eat some vegetables, I heard you get a terrible disease that makes all your teeth fall out if you don't."

"That's nonsense." Albus hadn't meant to blurt it out. Malfoy frowned menacingly at him and he added defensively. "Rose always manages to avoid eating vegetables and she's fine."

Scorpius shrugged.

"Maybe it works differently for half bloods." He said matter-of-factly and started talking to a second year next to him.

Albus sat miserably though dinner and at the end of the meal managed to drag himself off upstairs with the other first years. They were lead by a fifth year prefect named Robina Mainville who showed them the secret entrance, briskly answering the question the magical voice posed.

"She should go easy on you seeing as your first years." She said with a wide friendly grin, "girls up, boys down."

Albus walked disconsolately along side the other Ravenclaw first year boys.

"Hi I'm Rupert Hamilton" A cheery mailto kid trotted up to a tall gangly boy walking near Albus.

"Hi, Michael Ng."

They both turned on him but a third boy cut in before they could speak.

"What're your names? I'm Travis Mariwood pleased to meet you." The new boy Travis stuck out his hand with an air of great formality blocking their way into the dormitory. The five of them all shook hands rather awkwardly in the cramped corridor. Albus felt painfully short. Michael was a full head taller than him.

"I'm Rupert, he's Michael" the mulatto boy said excitedly to Malfoy once they were in their dorm room.

"Scorpius Malfoy, I don't think I'm in the right house." Malfoy was scowling vigorously.

"The hat told you to come here didn't it?" this from Michael.

"Of course" Malfoy snapped

"Hogwarts a History said the hat takes more into account then our personal preferences." Travis said in a rather superior tone.

"Well it's obviously wrong" Malfoy flashed back. "My whole family's been in Slytherin for _years._" To Albus's horror Malfoy jabbed a finger at him "And he's a _Potter_, what's _he_ doing in Ravenclaw!"

"Really? Are you actually related to _the_ Harry Potter?" Rupert seemed dazzled by this fact.

"He's my dad." Albus mumbled.

Travis looked genuinely impressed, though Malfoy continued to scowl.

"Wow that's really really cool! Do you have body guards to protect you from the Death Eaters?"

"No…"

"Who's Harry Potter?" Michael interjected.

"Only the greatest wizard ever! The one that defeated the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Rupert looked thunderstruck at Michael's blank expression.

"Must be Muggle born if he's never heard of the Dark Lord." Travis interjected authoritatively.

"Yeah I am so. Who is he?"

"Look here, I'm going to sleep and I don't want to have to listen to the whole nauseatingly boring story so can you guys drool over Potter tomorrow." Scorpius snapped.

Rupert looked mutinous.

"He's right, remember what they said at dinner; we've got to be up early to find out about classes tomorrow." This sanctimonious homily from Travis.

Albus found himself grateful not to be asked any further questions. The little group broke up and Albus flopped down exhausted on his four-poster with Scorpius to his left and Rupert on his right. The other boys started to rummage for their night clothes Travis making a point of telling everyone how important it was to brush their teeth before bed.

Albus just lay feeling uncomfortable and out of place in the unfamiliar room. He could hear Rupert whispering the story of the Dark Lord's defeat to Michael in the next bed.

"Oi you not going to change?" Scorpius hissed at him.

"Yeah, sorry." Hefting himself off the bed and began to rummage in his trunk. He mum had put his Pajama's with his toothbrush at the top of his trunk next to a picture of his family. He hurried off to the loo sniffling slightly and hoping desperately that no one noticed.

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There we've made it though the requisite introduction. Fear not some semblance of plot will emerge.

Reviews are Peachy and Creamy and very delicious


	2. Hogwarts a Hegemon

**Chapter Two:****Hogwarts a Hegemon**

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Albus sniffed and wiped his nose on his big red, tear stained handkerchief. He'd not gotten any letters today, and it was Friday. His parents should have written. He didn't want to bother James and he couldn't find Rose, plus he didn't really want to let her see him crying. That was why he was now sitting curled up among the stacks and working hard to convince himself that he really ought to be studying. 

Looking down at the smiling young witch and wizard on the cover of _A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration, 21__st__ edition _Albus felt miserably alone. He missed playing board games with Lily, his Dad reading to them in the evenings or listening to programs over the wireless. He missed his Mum taking them all out shopping and letting him, his bother and sister wander around the shops in Godric's Hollow provided they _stayed together_. Last year it had been just him and Lily. They would walk around and talk about all their friends from school and try to magically freeze the water in the public fountain by concentrating on it even though it didn't work very well. A big tear dribbled off his chin onto the page in front of him.

"Oi Potter what are you doing back there, it's dinner time, we're supposed to down in the Great Hall." The sharp whisper made him jump.

Albus drew in a raspy breath and tried to make his voice sound normal.

"Ok I'll be along in a moment." He sounded odd even to himself, and his nose it seemed has seized the opportunity to make its stuffy condition known. Drat. Steps drew nearer and Malfoy was standing over him. Albus sniffed and he looked down sharply.

"You ok? Hey you've been crying."

"No I wasn't." Albus tried vainly to sound normal. Scorpius snorted skeptically.

"Alright I am, but please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry everyone already thinks you're a baby. Well except for Rupert."

Scorpius crouched down in front of him bouncing on his haunches and stared at Albus so intently at him it made Albus feel uncomfortable.

"Miss home?"

"Yeah." Albus sniffed and then decided he's be better off if he blew his nose outright.

"You're parent's write to you a lot." It didn't sound like Scorpius was making fun of him, but he couldn't be sure. Rubbing his eyes Albus looked at him.

"Yours write too!" He was feeling a little vulnerable, having been discovered in the middle of his cry.

"Mondays and Thursdays. Morgan's too young to write so they send me pictures she's drawn." Albus had seen the other boy receive letters but hadn't seen any pictures with them.

"Where are they?"

"They're really bad. I put them in the bottom of my trunk. It's only 'cause she's six." Scorpius paused as if daring Albus to make something of it.

"My sister's nine. She didn't want to be the only one left at home this year."

"I think I saw her at 9 ¾. She's got red hair. My mum said she looked like a carrot."

"My Grandmother had red hair and she was beautiful." Albus protested feeling indignant. Scorpius just shrugged.

"Whatever, I think she looks fine, she's as tall as you." Before Albus could be offended he added "My sister's big too, well not that big."

They were silent for a moment. Albus was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He'd talked to Scorpius quite a bit, they were in the same house after all, but he got the feeling that his brother and Rose didn't really approve of the Malfoy boy.

"Here you want to see a picture." Scorpius was riffling though his satchel. After a moment he pulled out a slightly bent photograph.

"That's me and Morgan." Scorpius proffered the picture.

Albus didn't want to be rude so he took it though it felt far too personal an object to show to a mere acquaintance. Most people were nice to him, but Albus'd not made any good friends, not family-picture-sharing level friends. He missed all his old familiar friends from Godric's Hollow. Why hadn't he thought to bring photos.

He looked down and saw a rather serious looking Scorpius formally posed on a couch seated next to a viciously grinning little girl with long blond hair tied back in two pigtails that curled down her shoulders. As he watched she began to mess up her hair and stuck out her tongue at him. The picture version of Scorpius dived to stop her but the damage was down.

"She's a bit of a handful." Scorpius had sat down cross-legged beside him and was grinning at the picture.

"She seems like James." Albus was rather surprised at himself for saying it.

Scorpius scoffed.

"She wouldn't just judge you on what your father had done."

Albus caught the hint of bitterness in the other boy's voice but checked an indignant retort.

"Are you two very close?"

"Sometimes. She's too young to be very interesting, but she loves me best I think, more than even Grandmother sometimes."

"I miss Lily. We played together all the time. Sometimes I want to go home so badly you know."

Again that silence fell, as they both stared at the books on the shelves in front of them and their minds drifted. The setting sun was picking up the stained glass in the windows and filling the library with a tinted glow that seemed to fall in pools on the floor, allowing long shadows to seep slowly further and further across the room.

"Yeah, but it's all right here isn't it, they aren't nasty to us and we have to go to school sometime don't we."

"I guess but why do we have to go away, why dose it have to be so far from home. We don't even get to go home for weekends." Albus could feel that ball of suppressed tears rise in his throat again. It didn't do any good thinking about things like that.

"Don't go crying again."

"I can't help it, I don't see why we have to be so far away and only go back for Christmas and holidays, the Muggles don't do it, we're just kids." His vehemence surprised him; it must have surprised Scorpius also because for the first time he looked taken aback and as if he were actually thinking about it.

"I think it has something to do with the Statute of Secrecy. Hogwarts had to be in an out of the way place so the Muggles couldn't find it. Unplotableness isn't foolproof with a building this size and we need a school don't we."

"Why can't we just have smaller schools? That way we could stay at home. The Muggles children in our village could stay at home until they finished there A levels." If it were like that, Albus thought, he and all those other generations of children wouldn't have had to come here, and feel so terribly miserable and alone. He looked up challengingly at Scorpius but he seemed to be thinking about something else.

"What are A levels?"

"They're this test that Muggles write to finish their school, like NEWTS." Everyone knew that.

"Are there lots of Muggles in your village? Have you played with them?" Albus was suddenly sure Scorpius was trying to distract him, just as if I were a little kid throwing a tantrum. He thought peevishly.

"Of course, haven't you?" he replied sounding only slightly sullen.

"Not really." Scropius looked awkward for a second before adding hastily. "Though I'm sure Muggles are fine people."

"They're all right. So how did you go to school if you didn't go to a normal primary?"

"We have a tutor."

"Oh" Albus pictured his life with out school and all his friends who he'd met in class and the great games on the playground at brake, and the birthday parties he's gone to and having people over and having his parents make him swear not to tell that his family were wizards.

"What was that like? How did you make any friends?"

"Cousins, and my parent's friend's kids, there are a couple other very respectable Wizarding families in our area with children about our age. Harold Black from year three in Slytherin used to visit all the time with his sister and brother. They're not in Hogwarts yet."

"Bother! It's all dark now, I can't see a thing." Albus fumbled for his wand.

"We've probably missed dinner. Sod-it and it was roast night."

"Lumos"

In the light from the Albus's wand end he caught Scorpius' look of surprise.

"We're not supposed to learn that one until next term."

"Yeah well it comes in handy." Albus tried to sound nonchalant.

"You've been getting top marks in transfigurations too haven't you and I hear Thompson's as strict as old McGonagall used to be."

Albus shrugged and tried to suppress a proud smile.

"You seem pretty good in potions."

"I think it runs in the family." Scorpius just shrugged. Albus made up his mind.

"You're alright you know. Hey do you want to come with me and get dinner?" He grinned feeling awkward.

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A possible love interest emerges or is six too young? Thanks too all those who've read this far, Reviews are much appreciated. Oh by the way, what is everyone wanting; a slash or a het fic?  



	3. Friendships form Over Dinner

**Chapter Three: Friendships From Over Food**

Hem-hem, it seems I'm getting huge numbers of hits, yet no one is reviewing. please. I don't want to turn into a bitter old Umbridge.

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"How? Dinner ended ages ago." Scorpius was gathering up his bag and getting up. 

"My brother told me about a secret passage behind Hilda the Horrible that goes to the kitchens."

"You mean the one in the Gryffindor corridor?" Scorpius looked hesitant.

"Come on, you're hungry aren't you?" Albus found himself really wanting the other boy to come with him. It would be fun and they didn't have to be back in their common room for at least a hour; they wouldn't be braking any rules. He stuffed his transfigurations book back into his bag and stood up.

"Do come. We're got ages before we have to be in bed."

"Isn't there another way?" Scorpius muttered, but they were already walking out of the library. Even though this was his expedition Albus found himself following the other boy as Scorpius led them though back passages, and disused staircases.

"I've never been this way before." They'd just come though a hall full of dusty plaques and old display cases that Albus had never seen.

"I like wondering the school; you got to be careful though. There's a huge scorpion in the east dungeons. I ran into it one day last week."

"I wonder if James knows about this hall. Looks like no ones been here in ages." They walked on for a few minutes before Albus recognized were they were.

"I've never come to Gryffindor this way before." They had emerged from a small staircase that led out onto the very end of the fat lady's hall.

"Here we are. How does it work?" Scorpius stopped staring up at a statue of a rather menacing lady in medieval robes.

"I don't know" Albus admitted looking up at it. "I suppose you push something." That was how these things usually worked wasn't it? He started running his hands over the statue.

"You mean you don't know." Scorpius glared at him.

"Look here why don't you help." Albus realized that he was really hungry and seeing Scorpius just standing there irritated him.

He ran his hands over the stone in the statues base, methodically up to the feet then the back of the caved robes. Nothing. He could feel his cheeks burn, he should have asked James for details, and now he just looked so foolish in front of the snooty Malfoy kid.

Scorpius scuffed his shoe against the floor with impatience and looked around furtively.

"Knew I shouldn't have come. Ugly old bat isn't she." He reached up and poked the statue in the eye. Albus felt mildly jealous he'd not have been able to reach at all and here this boy could do it just like that.

A dull thud like a stone rolling into place made them both jump back. The statue's eyes rolled and as they did she slid back reveling a small worn wooden staircase with a dull warm light nearly invisible at its end. As they stared down delicious smells wafted up and hit them full in the face.

"Told you there was a passage."

The stairs were so steep they were almost ladder like and the two boys climbed down backwards. To Albus it felt like an eternity though it did end at last and led them though a low arch into a fantastic room.

The ceiling was low, so low in fact that Scorpius had to stoop slightly, and all around them stoves and sinks and pots gleamed in copper, stainless steal and sooted cast iron. House elves in clean white dishcloths scurried round with triunes as big as themselves. Great wash basins stood to one side where the ceiling sloped up and huge stacks of dishes awaited cleaning, while their fellows jumped into the massive copper tubs brimming with suds and were attacked by magically animated scrubbers and scrapers. Albus was afraid to take a step lest he tread on something or get in someone's way.

"Masters, you should not be here. Students are not supposed to be in the kitchens." A squeaky house-elf voice caught his attention and he looked down to see an elf with floppy ears and a rather stern expression looking up at them.

"We've missed dinner, bring us food." Scorpius barked, glaring at the elf who withered slightly.

"Please, we are very hungry." Albus added feeling a little disconcerted by Scorpius' rudeness. He hoped the elf wouldn't take offence.

"Sirs it is not right, but Brisker will see what he can do. If masters would take a seat?" He waved them over to a diminutive table and chairs. Not quite elf size Albus though but hardly comfortable for a grown human.

"What does he mean by his rule spouting. House elves shouldn't speech unless spoken to." Scorpius was grumbling as they sat down.

"I think it's just something they have to do. There must have been hundreds of students to come here before us, look at this table."

A very old elf was doddering towards pushing before him a trolley ladened with what Albus thought must be leftovers from dinner. There was a leg of mutton; hardly touched, half of something that might have been duck, a pile of potatoes, and several rolls of bread, and a heavy lidded dish.

"There's no vegetables." Scorpius muttered surveying the trolley with distaste.

"Kreacher doesn't know what these hooligans mean by disturbing the kitchen at night." The elf muttered ignoring Scorpius.

"Get us something green can't you." Scorpius snapped at the old elf who was glaring and laying dishes haphazardly on the table in front of them. Suddenly something clicked in Albus' mind and he watched the old elf with something that could almost have been awe as the old thing doddered off.

"Kreacher?" the elf turned at the sound of his name holding a green rag he'd just picked up off a side dresser. He looked at Albus then glaring plonked the cloth down in front of Scorpius.

"Did you used to serve the Blacks?" Albus asked a little take aback.

"Ahh yes, many years ago, Kreacher is a Black family elf, all of Kreacher's family has served that noble house, mistress Narcissa, and old mistress and Regulus, yes Kreacher has served many Blacks."

"Did you know my father, Harry Potter?"

"Ahh yes, Harry Potter yes, Kreacher knows him, he is Kreacher's Master now, though Kreacher hasn't seen neither hide or hair of young Potter for ever so long, yes."

"I'm his son." Albus said rather lamely

"Kreacher says no, that cannot be." The old elf squinted up at him for a long moment making Albus feel more and more uncomfortable. He could feel Scorpius staring also from across the table. Why did it matter if this old elf knew his father. He should have just said nothing.

"You do have Potter's eyes. Kreacher wonders."

"I am I tell you." Something electric appeared to flash though the elf's mind.

"Master Potter should eat."

"Thank you." This too seemed inadequate for the elf just stood staring at him looking suddenly more and more choked by might have been joy.

"You… you can go now if you've got other work."

"Yes master, if there is anything you be needing don't forget to ask Kreacher, he lives to serve the house of Harry Potter."

"Er, th-thank you." The elf tottered off looking over his shoulder repeatedly.

"I'm sorry I didn't know he was still alive. Really odd old thing isn't he."

"I thought you're family wouldn't have elves." Scorpius had uncovered the dish and fond heaps of broccoli and cauliflower smothered in cheese sauce and was looking slightly less pettish.

"We don't, My father inherited him I guess, I've never seen him before." He ended up explaining all he knew of Kreacher's story over dinner which filled up the very minimal gaps between eating quite well.

"I still think it's best not to be too friendly with them." Scorpius said clicking his knife and fork together neatly at the side of his plate.

"Dumbledore once told my Dad something about always treating them well. I don't know..." Albus trailed off. He was feeling wonderfully tired now that he was full and wondered if there was a faster way of getting back to the his common room than via the Gryffindor hall way. "Let's head back."

Kreacher was sidling up to them again with the cart to clear their dishes.

"Young master is in Ravenclaw, best go by the pantry Kreacher thinks. That will take you very close." Kreacher looked at Albus and made a face though could well have been a smile. It was uncanny, but Albus was too triad to be surprised.

"Thank you Kreacher, can we come see you again?" Albus said getting up and stacking his plat on to the tray despite Kreacher making a grab at it.

"Kreacher lives to serve." He bobbed a bow still smiling horribly as they waked in the direction he'd indicated.

"How'd he know?" Albus wondered aloud.

"He's been sitting watching you tell his story form there." Scorpius pulled a face and pointed to a heap of rags twenty feet of so behind where he'd been seated.

"He seems nice." but that was all Albus could think to say.

They made their way up to their common room in almost total silence except to answer the question posed to them at the entrance to the Ravenclaw commonroom. It was later then Albus had though and when they entered the room was dark. They were at the door of there dorm before Scorpius turned to Albus a little stiffly.

"Dinner was good you know, Next potions class, do you want to be my partner?"

Albus nodded solemnly, and they stared at each other for a moment before Scorpius pushed the door open and walked brusquely into their dorm.

* * *

I know its dragging a bit, I'm trying to build some semblance of character in the boys. Not sure how well it's going, let me know what you think... 


	4. Owls Interrupted

A/N: This story is neither dead nor forgotten, merely submitting primacy to other aspects of life… but I love this story. Have faith, it will continue. Reviews are appreciated as always.

**Chapter Four: Owls Intercepted **

_To: Mum and Dad_

_You know I told you that I was really lonely here because I had no friends in my house and about how much I missed Marcus and all of them from school. Now I have a friend! At least I think he's my friend. You rembmer Scorpius from when you droped me and James off at the train station? We have been doing all our potions labs together. I was having trouble with the Patience potion and I kept getting the recipee mixed up with the one for the potion of Persistence and he stayed back with me until I had it right. But I've been beating him in transfigurations. _

_Mister Hill made fun of Scorpius in front of the whole class the other day. We were transfiguring tea cups into tiles and it's tricky to get rid of the handle. Scorpius only managed to flatten his out a bit so when Thompson looked at our work he said to the class "Keep it up and we'll have a whole tea set for those needy people in 2-D economies." I don't think he ment it very seriously, it's just his way of keeping us well behaved, but Scorpius was really mad. I found him trying to transfigure the bathroom mugs after dinner, he hates not being good at things._

_James and Rose don't seem to like Socpius very much, James keeps talking about all the evil things the Deatheaters used to do when ever Scorpius is around, I wish he wouldn't. And anyway didn't you say that the Malfoys were good in the end anyway? Rose won't go near him. But I think he yelled at her for stepping on his robes. She told me that she didn't think anyone with a such a bad temperament was worth my time. I wish they could get along. _

_Scorpius knows all the best places around the castle! Rose would love going exploring with him if they were friends. Did you know there is a room that can turn into anything you need it to be! We do our home work in it. It's got the most comfortable chairs in the world. Better even than the ones at the burrow!_

_XOXOXOXO (you get two of each each.) _

_Albus_

_P.S. We met an elf named Kreacher in the kitchens here and he says he is yours._

_-- _

_Dear Lily_

_Don't listen to what Angela says about your hair. It's very very nice even if she thinks mum did a horrible job cutting it. I showed the picture you sent to Scorpius he says it's long anyway so no one will notice. Rose also thinks it looks pretty. I didn't ask James, He's always with his friends and he gets nasty when you show him stuff from home around them. Remember last summer when they came over and he banned us from the tree house all day! He did chuck a dung bomb at Travis the other day for making fun of me, I had my robe on backwards at breakfast by mistake, the labels have come off. . _

_Rupert, Michael, Rose, Me, Audrey Knox and Li Fung Quan from Hufflepuff have been organizing these super games of hide and seek. Last Saturday a few third years came and played too. Scorpius says its stupid and he won't play. I wish he would, he'd always win. I think he didn't cause Travis was there and started directing everything. I can't wait till you can come to Hogwarts. It's going to be so great._

_Teddy is leaving after Christmas, James said Victorie was really really happy that Teddy was coming up on assignment and they are always together. James thinks they are in love, but Scorpius and I were watching them at dinner and they were just acting normal. But they are always sitting next to each, so they might be. I hope they get married too, but he has no time to see me and James anymore. _

_Lots of love _

_Your brother_

_Albus_

_P. S. How are flying lessons?_

_-- _

_Cher Mama,_

_I hope you are feeling better, and that being in France will improve your health. Everything is going well. I've been getting top marks in all of my potions labs and I'm working hard on my transfigurations. We will be starting floatation in Charms next week. I've been practicing in the evenings so I won't make any mistakes. This week we have had green beans twice and both times with too much butter. I believe our house elves' cooking is much healthier, so I am making sure I have an orange each day. _

_I have joined the potions club, they meet every Wednesday before dinner. These are the potions we will be making:_

_Calming Draught_

_Substance of Sleep_

_Dreamless Sleep_

_Strengthening Solution _

_Patience Potion _

_Draught of Peace _

_Polyjuice Potion_

_Temporary Ageing Solution_

_Cleansing Concoction_

_Potion of Persistence_

_Tonic of Endurance _

_Some of them are quite advanced especially Polyjuice Potion and the Strengthening Solution. We are being very safe and we not allowed to take any of them out of the class room when we are finished so don't worry. _

_Your devoted son,_

_Scorpius _

_P.S. will we be spending our Christmas holidays in Montpellier with __Grandmère__Héloïse?_

_--_

_Dear Father,_

_I hope you enjoyed New York and that your business went well. Thank you very much for the post card of the Freedom Tower, it looks very impressive, and for the taxi model kit. I am working hard in school and doing well. I have joined the potions club and am looking forward to learning more potions this year. The book that grandmother sent will be very useful. _

_Your son,_

_Scorpius_

_--_

_Dear Scorpus, _

_Grandmother says to right you, so I can spell better. I have a new doll, Daddy got it in New York. She is less good than Molly. And you have to play tea party when it is Christmas so you can see her. She is bigger and has long hair and blue eyes and three dresses. she is not cloth so she is not comfortable to take to bed. _

_Love, _

_Morgan_

_--_

_Dear James,_

_I'm glad to hear you've been practicing hard for the Quidditch game against Slytherin. However it is important to remember than school is more than just Quidditch and that we don't want you to neglect your studies. _

_Your mother was very proud to hear about these games of hide and seek. She knows you're the one behind it. She's now telling your Uncle George that you're developing great leadership skills. He however claims you're just working under his influence… I hope to hear that this isn't true. I don't want you hauled up in front of the board. Remember Hogwarts isn't the same as it was back when you Uncle was there. I trust your judgment and I hope you will act __responsibly_

_I hear Albus is finally making friends and that you've been giving them a hard time. Remember that Uncle Ron is not always fully correct or justified in his evaluation of other wizards and their families. Keep this in mind when you're playing your big games. A true leader will make the most of all available resources. _

_Both your Mum and I send you all our love. Though I assure her you're doing fine with out it, and Lily misses you too. _

_Love,_

_Your Dad_

_--_

_To Mum and Dad and Hugo,_

_It's really fun being a Gryffindor, I'm so proud to be in your old house. It's great with James and his friends are always practicing Quidditch or up to something. Don't worry Mum I'm not going to get into trouble and I'm still doing my school work. I know so many people already here and there's always people to help with difficult questions. _

_Albus ended up in Ravenclaw! He was really upset at first, but I think he's making friends now, and you wouldn't believe it, he's making friends with Scorpius Malfoy! Really, they started working together in potions! We invited him to the hide-and-go-seek game, but he wouldn't play. He seems just a little stuck up and I don't really want to go see Albus when he's around. He is really snotty – I think. _

_Thanks for the sweets last week. I've been sharing them with the dorm-mates. They think you're the coolest parents ever to send chocolate frogs. I said I'd die if Dad didn't send them. It's fun living with other girls my own age. Christina I think likes Mathew (James' friend). She told me he smiled at her in the halls today, like a special smile and winked, and she was giggling and blushing for the rest of the afternoon. I wonder if he's going to ask her to go to Hogsmeade. Though I know she'll say no. She says if her parents find out they'll jinx her so that she'll never be able to eat sweats again._

_Please Mum don't do that to me if someone asks me. I won't go anyway, but please don't do that cause I heard you gave someone really supper bad zits when you were here. _

_Love you all, _

_Rose_

_--_

_To Harry and Ginevra Potter,_

_I am sure you will be unsurprised to learn that your son James Potter will be serving detention for the second time this year for an attempt to set off Weasley's Wizarding Weezyes during a History of Magic lesson. _

_Although the administration is aware that History of Magic is far from a general favorite among the student body, we would like to impress upon both students and parents its historic and social importance with in the Hogwarts curriculum. It is my personal hope that persons so involved in the Making of History should be sensible of the respect it deserves. _

_Yours truly,_

_Minerva McGonagall _

_Headmistress _

_Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_P.S. Hope your family is well. _


	5. Home for the Holidays

**Chapter Five: Home for the Holidays **

Thanks for all the hits on the last chapter, but reviews are nice too.

**--**

_We are pleased to announce our annual Twelfth Night Fête. Come and revel at Malfoy Manor as we mark the passing of another season. _

_Dear Albus_

_I've asked my parents if you can come over for the party. Be at the manor at 4 o'clock. My mother says for your parents to collect you at 10, and that we will give you dinner. Reply by owl if you can. _

Sitting on the worn cushions of the bow window Albus absently fitted the embossed card against the right angle of the glass in the window pain. Pushing the sharp paper edge into the impossible-to-clean spot of dust that collected in the corner he forced the paper to bend against the ancient window putty. Scorpius' heavy decisive handwriting scrawled only slightly unevenly along the bottom of the formal invitation.

He'd only seen his friend a few weeks ago, and now he'd be the first one of all the people he knew to actually visit Malfoy Manor. He couldn't decide if he was more excited or nervous. His Dad hadn't look pleased when he'd given Albus the card, but Albus thought he knew why.

Being home for Christmas had been so much fun. Back in Godric's hollow, playing with all his old mates from school, and his sister, and her mates it was as if he'd never left. It was back to life as usual; visiting the sweetshop by the fountain, buying PCgamer magazines with his pocket money, staying out late at his Muggle neighbors' house, playing Smashbos, Mariokart and Warioware on their Muggle entertainment systems with Jake, Lily and Anthony from grammar school, this was home.

The first days back home he had almost missed the familiarity of Hogwarts. _Almost._ But now with the days sliding by, he was trying to ignore how few days he had before he was to return to school. Then he'd received the card from Scorpius.

It must have come along with the morning owls which arrived while he was out at riding lessons with Lily. They'd tramped back from Lizius' Field on frosted ground that has gave off a satisfying crunch with every step. Both famished they barged into the kitchen demanding their midday meal only to find their parents in a heated conversation.

"I just don't like it that…"

It ceased immediately upon their entrance and Albus noticed the strange owl perching on the back of his brother's chair. He couldn't help feeling it looking rather meaning, where it sat, with its head twisted backwards, horribly contorted as if it where glaring at him.

"Albus, we have an invitation for you from Malfoy Manner." His Mum's voice sounded slightly forced as she handed him a card, a single piece of think paper in a flimsy unsealed envelope. Had Scorpius gotten permission from his parents for Albus to visit like he'd promised all though December?

Visions of the vast expanses of Malfoy manor, conjured from Scorpius' exacting descriptions flashed into his head. They could hide up in Scorpius' tower and play chess or nine-man-morris or work on the secret code they'd been trying to memorize before Christmas brake.

Albus was also rather curious to see what Scorpius' father and mother looked like. His Mum was supposed to be gorgeous. And his father, the infamous as a calculating broker and the child hood nemesis of his Dad, Mum, Uncles and Aunts, and "a right pain and a coward to boot" according to Rose, James and Uncle Ron. Albus was going to be able to find out for himself. And it would all be so grand.

"It's for Thursday night, that's the night we were going to go to your sister's football game, remember?" This from his Dad who looked, Albus thought, rather tight-faced.

He put the card on the table, a deep blue and sliver affair, a wintery snowscape with dizzying drifts and delicately embossed leafless trees framing the text; an elegantly brief formal invitation.

In the warmth of the kitchen Albus could feel heat gradually seeping into his frozen toes and cold fingers.

"So what you going to do Albus?" Lily was looking at him, casually pouring herself a cup of milky tea.

"Er... I don't know." His parents seemed as uncommunicative as the bird so he appealed to his sister for guidance. Rather unhelpfully she shrugged.

"If you're worried about the game, I wouldn't bother; there isn't a really big chance I'll even be playing. Remember I told you, I sprained my ankle, and I can't be on the field for that long. It's still really sore."

"Lily-bill are you sure you're alright not having Albus there?" This from his Mum.

Albus really wasn't sure what the big fuss was, he'd missed his sister's games many times, and James had missed them heaps more to go see friends. Why were his parents so hesitant? He'd, just the other night seen James getting scolded for calling the people in the ministry a bunch of Deatheating Dementos. Wasn't everything supposed to be reconciled, and the Malfoys were good anyway.

"Yeah really, it's cool. Plus Mum and Dad and Hugo are going to be there, and I sort of feel guilty if you're all there and I'm only playing half the game. Plus it's only Watherington, and we've beaten them every game this season." Lily grinned rather viciously at Albus. "We're kicking ass since you left."

He glared at his sister.

"You should probably send a reply by this owl then, he's been waiting around all morning despite your mother's efforts to get him out. I think he's under orders." He could tell his father was not pleased, but trying to hide it. He recognized that exact same expression from all the times he'd seen his Dad doing interviews about the war.

"Er, you're sure I can go? I mean you can Apparate with me there? Scorpius' mother is French like Aunt Flur."

Neither of his parents looked particularly inspired by this news.

"Ask your mother." He could she his Mum glare at his Dad who looked tense, but he was too excited to care. He might get to see Scorpius' house.

"Mum can I, can I go?"

"Alright twelfth night is this Thursday, I think your father should be able to Apparate you there and pick you up." His Mum didn't look entirely happy and as if she very much wanted to have words with his Dad, but was unlikely to say anything until Scorpius and Lily were well out of range. Albus was too excited to really care about what his parents were worrying over.

"Just hold on one second!" This directed at the owl as Albus snatched up the invitation and rushed to find parchment.

Sprawled out on the floor of his bedroom, Albus carefully penned out a reply in his best cursive. This would be seen by parents, it had to be done _properly_.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I would be happy to attend and come over to your house on Thursday to eat dinner with you. It is kind of you to invite me, is there anything I can bring to the occasion?_

_Your friend,_

_A. S. Potter. _

There, he thought to himself. That looked quite adult.

"You know you better tell me all about what it looks like."

His brother was standing over him trying to look causal. Albus grinned. This was going to be awesome, even James was curious.

"Sure thing. Where's Lily? She's letting me miss her football game." Albus sprang up and stated neatly folding he's note.

"That owl downstairs looks really vicious. Did you see her beak?"

"Yeah, she's alright, Mathew's family has a much bigger eagle owl. He's flown all the way to Estonia."

"Wow, doesn't that take forever to exchange letters? Is that where his family's from?"

"He said it takes about a week for him to get a letter back from his grandma. Do you want me to give that to the owl?" James was holding out his hand. Albus nodded.

"Yeah thanks, I hate when they try grab at me."

"They wouldn't if you had more confidence. It's like Uncle Charlie says, you've got to make the animal feel safe, but also know its place. Then it'll trust you"

"I guess." James took the proffered note and they walked back to the kitchen. On their way they met Lily looking smug had a cup of tea in her hands as she walked upstairs.

"It's like when you're riding. Hey Lil is tea ready?"

"Yeah." Lily tried to shuffle around them.

"You know your not supposed to take food upstairs." She stopped dead.

"I'll bring the cup down. Don't tell mum?"

Lily looked only slightly shamefaced as she pulled a cookie from her sweater and started nibbling. It really annoyed his Dad finding crumbs around, but as long as they were fairly responsible most of the time their parents didn't find out.

"You better leave me and Darwin alone on Thursday then. Or I'll make sure Dad finds out."

"I don't even like your friends anyway."

Lily was rolling her eyes with all the excessive exaggeration of a ten year-old and Albus grinned. His sister was such a kid.

"Don't worry Lil, I'll be home before bed that day and I'll tell you all about Malfoy Manor. You know you're really going to love school next year."

Lily shrugged trying to hide her enthusiasm and the siblings parted. Albus followed James into the kitchen where the eagle owl was still waiting, his dad staring at it malevolently.

"I've got my letter Dad." Albus bounced towards the plate of cookies. "Hey James, you want tea?"

"Sure, hey Dad what's wrong?"

James was holding out his arm to the bird, and making low noises, as Albus watched James seemed to pass the bird's piercing inspection and was now gently stroking her head with one hand, and fumbling to unbuckle her leg pouch with the other. Albus couldn't help feeling slightly jealous, things like that were probably why his brother was a real Gryffindor and he'd been stuck in Ravenclaw.

"…the ministry is going though a bit of restructuring, just thinking over some things for work. Don't you boys worry."

His dad was talking to his brother, but Albus was too warped up in watching his brother to catch it all. That kind of thing was adult stuff, and even if it interested James because he was trying to be 'grown-up" that was fine. As far as Albus was concerned, his parents didn't tell him and Lily much.

When they did Albus suspected that it was only need-to-know-info anyway, and he was fine with that. What did he or his sister care about work anyway? After all the whole family seemed to work for some ministry or another and too many a family gathering were already spent trying to escape the adult's talk about work, or politics or other such grownup things.

"James can you send off the owl?"

"Yeah sure" James didn't even glance up from the bird and Albus suspected he liked the Malfoy's owl more than he was letting on.

Leaving his Dad and James talking, Albus wandered into the study where Lily had set up a game of monopoly and was playing solo, he'd see if she wanted to play with him.

They had a good game of monopoly playing as two pieces each and spreading multi-coloured money and property deeds all over the carpet. When their Dad came in he'd even trample a few houses which had been left quite accidentally in a small hamlet beside discarded chance cards. They had spread out so far and were so wrapped up in the game that he'd had to ask them quite sharply to quiet down before settling behind his desk to write letters.

"Daddy wouldn't you play too." Lily whined in her cutest little girl voice.

"No lil-bill I've got some work to do."

"Can you be the Rail Magnet? All you have to do is preside over us from there." Albus put, in already prepared.

"I don't remember that in the original rules?" Their father was smiling down now. "What's a magnet do then?"

"It's Albus' new rule. All railroads are like a floo network and can take you to any part of the board if you have hotels on a property or drop you at another railroad. But you can't buy them so we need someone to collect the money. James said it was silly, but I think it makes it more fun. Albus move me nine spaces." Lily waved her hand in the direction of a pink boot.

"Alright, I think I can do that, Albus you've got quite the understanding of industry." Albus swelled with pride. "Actually the idea is partially Scorpius'. We came up with it when were playing with Rupert and Michael."

"Well that's still quite the innovation, and I assume Scorpius has a great head for those things from his father." Albus was mid dice role so he couldn't be certain if he caught something strained in his Dad's voice.

"Here Daddy, Albus's rolled a six, and if he moves he's going to end up on my place, but he's on his own hotel so he'll probably be cheap and pay too floo to his other hotel."

"Yeah, it's only $25 and I'm closer to GO. Here Dad, take the money."

Reaching up Albus shoved the notes onto the great green leather toped desk. They played, their father scribbled and the smell of his mum's Sunday dinner slowly wafted into the room. They only stopped to turn on the lamps to fight off the gradually gathering gloom.

"Ok Albus, Lil I have to go out and post these. Humphrey is looking a little bedraggled and I don't want to send him all the way up to London. Make sure you clean up the game when you're done with it." Their father got up from his chair a stack of letters neatly sorted from the rainbow of notes.

"Can I go with you!" Lily cried rolling over from her placed sprawled over the carpet tummy down.

"You don't want to finish?" Albus said rather plaintively. His green car had been in the lead for the last half-hour.

"Oh come on. You_can't_ finish monopoly."

"Alright." He conceded.

"Liliy ask your mother when dinner will be ready and if she needs you two, then help your brother clean this up. Albus do you want to come too?

"No thanks Dad, I think I'll stay here and read for a bit."

"You're sure?" Albus nodded.

Lily had returned and they were scooping a jumble of green and read building into various plastic baggies, his father snapping elastic bands around various sets of cards.

"There, Albus can you just sort out of the rest of the money, if we don't go soon I think we may miss the post office." Harry got up from the floor, Lily jumping to follow him.

"Yup sure."

"Lily get your coat." His sister scampered off.

"It's more fun when you're here to play with us, and you're not bossy like James." Albus grinned up at his Dad. His father smiled back reaching down messing up his hair.

"You know Albus, your Mum and I really miss you when you two are at school. It's good to play with you too."

"We'll all have to have a big game before we go back!"

"That sounds fun. I'll see you when we get back, thanks for cleaning up with out a fuss."

In a moment he heard the sounds of his Dad and Lily shoving boots on and finding gloves in the big hall chest. Then the click of the door and they were gone. His brother would be somewhere upstairs and his Mum was tied up in the kitchen. Pulling out his book bag from its place under his Dad's desk, he lugged it over to the window seat.

The card from Scorpius was lying slightly bent on the cushions. Setting down this book he plopped himself down picking up the card. Albus ran his thumbs over the embossing, pressing it to the cold glass, trying to line up the clean paper edges with the slightly warped casing of the windowpanes. This was going to be great!

--

I wrote this rather haphazardly. It's the fist time I've tried to get the cyclical theme going in a chapter. However the dialogue isn't as smooth as I wanted it.

Any comments, criticism, always appreciated. Love to all reviewers. I think I've finally got the plot worked out so with luck I'll have the next installment out soon. I think this story has re-inspired me.

Oh and check out the poll in my profile.


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